Printing wheel device



2 Sheets-Sheet l la Sla C. G. DUDIS PRINTING WHEEL. DEVICE FIG fw S c. 3 2 W s .ma w 2,4 mw 2lf 4 V A 4 A MVwMMVVVV/v ms 2 2r m m H 3 a M w F l M a- 5 I ...Y 5 E l l m f@ 5 m 2 m 5.. m G n H I- m l l w W n H.-

Dec. 22, 1953 Filed March '22, 1951 Dec. 22, 1953 C, DUD|s 2,663,257

PRINTING WHEEL DEVICE l Filed March 22, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 3e el 62' 59 ,60

'l NVENTOR CHARLES G. DUDIS IS ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 22, 1953 PRINTING WHEEL DEVICE Charles G. Dudis, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to The National Cash Register Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Maryland Application March 2z, 1951, serial No. 217,024

29 claims.

This invention relates to a printing wheel device,V and particularly pertains to such a device having one or more printing wheels on a common axle and in which fluid ink may be fed to porous type on said printing wheels through Aaxial and radial channelsin the said axle, and through channels extending from the axial hole in a wheel to the porous type material on the periphery, without leakage.

It is known to provide ink-saturated porous type wheels, either fed from a font of ink within the wheel, as disclosed in United States Patent 2,199,265 to Lohrey, or fed from a font through radial holes in the axle as disclosed in United States Patent-2,262,884 to Compton.

One of the major problems in feeding ink to porous type on type wheels, either fromV the body of such wheels or through such wheels from ink fed thereto from the axle, is leakage. The ink tends to leak out at the axle bearingpoints and tends to drip from the wheel rim, due to the hydraulic static head existent at the axle hole and at the lower edge of the Wheel. This invention eliminates such problems byprovidingv adequate sealing means through a combination of axle-borne elements which cooperate with4 carbon-graphite and metal plates on the sides of the wheels mounted on said axle, and by providing adequate capillary control of the liquid being fedfrom the axle to the peripheryof afwheel, so that dripping of inl will not occur. The invention may be used either with asingle wheel on anfaxle-or with a-plurality of wheels grouped together on an axle, in close relation side by side. Y The carbon-graphite plates, cooperating with the metal parts of adjacent wheels and on axleborne collars and formations, form fluid seals that; do not interfere with the rapidY angular adjustment of said printing wheels.

The wheels themselves, which, constitute?u novel feature of the invention, each `contain one or more capillary channels extending from the axial hele to the porous type rim, such. channels being formed, in one form of the invention, by grooves out on. the inside surface of one ofl two' non-porous carbon-graphite disk plates joined together face to face, and in another form of the invention such capillary-channels are formed by.

spacing elements ,which themselves in, some instances. areibonding materials whereby theplates may be joined together, or in other instances where spacing elements are separate from the bonding material. i v

In the .preferred form of the ,invention the porous type material which is bonded to the periphery of the central portion of a wheel fabricated of two carbon-graphite plates, is microporous, resilient rubber or artiiicial rubber, such as is described in United States Patent No. 2,392,521 toChollar, such being heat moldable and vulcanizable to the rims of the carbongraphite plates, specied, without the use of any intermediate bonding agent or adhesive. The carbon-graphite plates being non-porous and the bonding of the porous rubber type rim being directly to the graphite prevents any leakage of inl; from the sides of the wheels, so made, except that which may appear at the bearing point of the wheel on the axle, because the micro-porous type material retains the ink in the rim by capillary action. Ink leakage at the axle bearing point of a wheel is confined by the novel sealing means, to be described, which uses the graphiteto-metal compression seal, the sealing characteristics of such combination of materials in parts rotating with respect to one another being well known. vAt either end of a group assembly of wheels or on either side of a Single wheel if only one wheel is used, sealing collars are provided on the axle, in combination with a spring means, to confine the uid ink rand prevent it from leaklng. y

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a printing wheel mechanism in which ink supplied to porous type on the wheel or wheels, through the supporting axle and from there through the interior of the wheel or wheels, is confined to said mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a mechanism in which escaped ink is controlled `and confined to the mechanism by carbon-graphite to metal sealing of the wheels in a group on an axle, or by such sealing of one such Wheel on an axle.

A further objectlof the invention is to provide a novel wheel construction for such a mechanism.

With lthese and incidental objects in View, the invention includes certainv novel features of construction and combinations of parts, a preferred form or embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference tothe drawings `which accompanyv and form apart of this specication.

-Oi the drawings:`

Fig.' 1 is a vertical axial section of a three-wheel embodiment of the invention, wher in the capillary channels inthe wheel are formed by spacing and bonding material interposed between carbongraphite plates of which the central portion of the wheels are fabricated.

f tl=i`g'.'"2 Visfa perspective diagrammatic View, in

3 a pespective View of the parts of Fig. il (except the gear) in assernbled form, before trimming.

Fig. i is a radial transverse section through the cuter half or" one oi the novel type wheels of the type shown in Fig.

5 is an edge View of one of the novel'type wheels.

Figs. 6 and 7 are carbon graphite plates which may be bonded together without a separator, channels on the inner face orr the plate (Fig. 6) providing the capillary iormation.

Fig. B shows a typical roller for applying adhesive or other bonding media to the plate of Fig. 6.

Fig. e is an edge View of a wheel made with the plates of Figs. 6 and 7, with a transverse break and a radial section.

Fig. l0 shows a bellows type of seal for the compression sprinfy seal in Fig. l.

General description` Referring to Figs. l, 2, 3, f1.. and 5, there will be rst described a three type wheel preierreiA ein hodiinent of the invention wherein the 4capiilzuy channels extending from the axial hole in a wheel through the central portion formed of carbon graphite plates, are determined as to sise by the use or nini spacing material and a bonding arf.- hesivo lil-in material.

The embodiment of the invention shown in the above Figures l to 5, and also that embodiment shown in Eigs. 6 to l0 inclusive, are designed for a numeral type wheel having ten digitrepresent ing type characters arranged at equal angular distances around the wheel and, for that reason, ten capillary channels are provided for each wheel, each capillary' channel leading from the axial hole to a type character point on the rim. Such channels need not necessarily be radial in nature but may take any direction wanted, such as spiral or tortuous, as long as the capillary size is maintained. Moreover, although it is preferred that each digit be directly supplied by its own capillary channel, it is not absolutely necessary for this to be so, as there is a side movement or init around the porous type material on the rim wherever it is supp-lied, thus tending to equalize the all around the wheel. 1n the use of low viscosity inlzs this may he Very rapidly achieved, the inlring may be done by only a :few capillary channels. types of i i: are in which an oil base vehicle is required, the viscosity may malte such equalizing of the ink by side movement in the porous type material a rnatter of sorne time.

.Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown aV typical plural type wheel assembly, such as might be found in a cash register, mounted between frame plate members 2li and 2i. In lplate 2i there is provided a supporting stud 22 riveted to the frame plate and extending inwardly toward the other plate lit. Mounted on stud 22, by an axial hole 31, is an having a type wheel supporting portion or smaller diameter, the other end oi vwhich is threaded to fit a threaded ink font te mounted through a hole in plate 2li, leav ing in position on the outside or plate 2@ an access plug 2l leading to an ink reservoir portion 2S which opens into an axial hole 29 in the said type wheel supporting portion 25 of the axle 2t.' There is a seal between the end of the axle and the tomber 2".

Where non-evaporableV The type wheels 31a are mountedv fi on the portion 25 of the asile, each in line with corresponding radial holes in the axle, shown at 32a. Taking the righthand wheel of the assembly of Figure l as an example, the `wheel is formed of a disk plate 3i bonded to a disk plate S2, both of carbon graphite material forming a central bearing portion of the wheel. 0n the rim of said central diskV portion is rnolded the porous type material t3. ln the saine plane with the radial holes 32d are radial channels in the wheel, one of said channels Sii extending upwardly and the other -channel extending downwardly, the seotion of Fie. l being taken on a line where oppositely extending ra al channels are located. Gn to the outside carbon-graphite plate il is bonded a metal gear `wheel preferably of steel. in the assembly shown the outer surface of Wheel at is held against the plane surface oi a carbon graphite collar Si' by a spring to be described. The carbon graphite collar Si is sealed to the axle by an adhesive. Carbon graphite collar rests against the shoulder of the enlarged of axle it. The gear corresponding to gear on the right side of the iniddle wheel bears the carbon graphite plate S2 or" the righthand wheel and' is held there by the saine sp ng 525, the bearcetween gear on the middle wheel an the plate of the right wheel occurring on the hub 3S. In a similar manner the left wheel of the ssernoly is sealed by means oi a gear on its right plate bearing on the lefthand carbon graphite plate or the center wheel. At the leit end of the assernbly or wheels is a metal collar which bears the left carbon graphite plate of the leit wheel, and a spring formerly referred to, holds collar il@ in sealing relation against the carbon graphite plate and holds the three wheels in compressed assembly whereby the nietal-to-oarbon graphite seals are maintained. it will be apparent that the contact surfaces between the steel elements and the carbon graphite plates must he carefullyT machined to make them plane and smooth. The spring its other end resting against the innermost face of er 2t, and a exible sleeve di, preferably of oilresistant rubber, covers the spring and seals therein any ink that may leak out between the collar fit and the axle portion there a leakage point at the spring end or collar lnk: may be supplied to the 'member 2t, through plug 2l, and from there such inl; ina-y lill the boro 29 of the bearing portion of the axle l, from which it is fed to the radial holes into t. e ype wheels and from there through the channels to the porous type material. The plug El may be removed to resupply the ink. The forni of the invention shown, with the screw plug no higher than the axle, prevents the occurrence of too great a hydraulic head within the member 2e and in the axle.

Next will be described the method by which one of the novel type wheels of preferred conn structionA may be made, particularly referring to the central portion made of the carb-on graphite disks separated by spacing members.

Referring to Figs. 23, i and there is provided a left carbon graphite circular disk a rightv carbonv graphite circular diei; each of the same diameter and thickness and each having an axial hole of the same diameter, that for the disk 012 being numbered iii-i and tor the disk 43 being numbered The carbon graphite plates may be made from carbon, such as amorphous colse or lampblack., and graphite powders, either natural or artificial.

. as is well known in the trade, pressed into shape and sinteredV into aV rigid mass. These plates are then impregnated with wax or resin and ground and lapped to size so that the side surfaces are smooth and normal to the intended axis of the wheel. These plates, being non-porous and in compression with metal at bearing points, Wear to a tight seal, which is more than sucient to keep the ink frorn'leakin'g from the assembly'of Wheels. In assembling the plates d2 and 43 as the outer wallsV of a central portion of a Wheel there is used a lm of thermo-setting bonding material 46, a nlm of metal foil 4l, and another nlm of bonding material 48. The Widths of lms 4t, il and t8 will determine the spacing lbetween the carbon-graphite plates, and the capillary channels are formed by cuttingv out portionsv of? said films. Films-45, l? 4and t8 are shown, in phantom outlinepas squares larger than the diameter of the plates. From each lm Within a circle, which -is the diameter oi? the carbongraphite plates, is out out a pattern of holes includinga circular hole-the diameter of the axle hole, and radial lanes like lane in nlm t5, ten in number and spaced at equal angular distances around the circle. -This leaves triangular segments, lsuch las segment Eil, extending inwardly from that point of the iilm bounded by the imaginary circle equivalent in diameter to the diameter of plates 42 and 43.

The retention of these triangular segments at their broad end to the square film, aids in placing these in accurate position with reference to the carbon-graphite plates in preliminary assembly prior to the bonding operation. Foil 47 and adhesive nlm 4S are out with the same pattern and the lparts are assembledlasshownin Fig.V 3, and heat-molded together, whereupon the portion of the iilm'and foil extending beyond the 'periphery l of the disk may be pared away as shown at the broken-away place in the View of Fig. 3. The nlms 46 and 48 preferably vare of thetype of thermo-setting adhesive material, that may be bought from the Minnesota Mining @t Manuiacl turing Company, under their trade name Scotchweld. Also bonded to the outside surface of disk 43 by alm of the thermo-settingadhesive shaped in the form of a gear, as shownr at 5! (Fig. 2), is a steel gear 52, the nlm and gear each having an axial hole like hole 45 in plate 4 3, heat and pressure being usedto accomplish such bonding. Gears like gear 52`are usedrto drive the wheels individually to setup to thev printing line the desired type character. The carbon graphiteplates and gear bonded together form the central portion of the Wheel.

To the periphery of the Wheels central portion, designated by 53 in Fig. 4, is the rim' of porous resilient rubber type material 54, preferably oil resistant butadiene-acrylonitrile-copolymer material,- made according to the Chollar patent to which reference `Was made The periphery of said rim of type material is molded with type characters such as character 55. The View of the type Wheel shown in Fig. 4 is a section through the thickness ofi the Wheel-at the outer edge thereof at a point cutting throughthe bonding film andthe foil, the componentparts being numbered as lin Fig. 2 in the same general relationship. The gear and its bonding filmare' not'shown inthis View.V The nished Wheel' is shown in Fig. 5.*

It will beapparent that the principle of the invention is present even in an assemblyfof an axle'` and one-Wheel and, therefore, a one-wheel printer is deemed to be covered by this disclosure. It'will also be understood that the central nonporous portion of one of the novel Wheels need not be made entirely of carbon graphite disks, but

may be made of metal or other type Wheel material as long as the carbon graphite-to-metal seals are present at the wheel hub.

In amodied form of construction of the type wheel, one of the plates, such as shown in Fig. 6, is provided With radial grooves, such as groove 56. A nlm of adhesive may be applied with an applicator roller 51 (Figr) made of some absorbent material of moderate rmness, and the l rolling of the adhesive-charged roller 57a over the grooved face of the plate of Fig. 6 coats only the raised triangular-shaped surfaces, such as surface 53, and the plate et of Fig. 7 is pressed thereagainst with the axial holes S5 and 54 in alinement. Adhesive is only applied to the raised surfaces 58 to prevent the grooves 'et from becoming occluded in the bonding process. Referring to Fig. 9, the carbon graphite plate of Fig. 6 is-identied by reference numeral 5S, the capillary chan- Y' nel shown is identified by the number 5t, which is the same number used for a similar channel in the plate of Fig. 6, the numeral til indicates the location of the bonding adhesive material, and the carbon graphite plate on the right side is numbered 51 and corresponds with plate 51 of Fig. 7. The adhesive may be any of the Well known adhesive noW available, such as phenolformaldehyde'resin base material.

Fig. l0 shows, as a substitute for seal lli (Fig. l), a metal type of bellows seal 5i, Welded to the collar 4B at 52,'and to the element 25 at 63.

This bellows permits the compression movement of collar 4@ by spring 38 in a manner similar to the iiexible sleeve di shown in Fig. l, yet retains Within it the ink leaking by collar llt.

yIt Will be apparent that if the bellows are of the spring type and are Welded to the axle-borne members under compression, the spring 38 may be dispensed with.

As a concrete example of a type Wheel of 11/8 inches in diameter, and of of an inch in thickness, and referring to Fig. 4, the plate @E may be 1S/90() of an inch in thickness, the adhesive lm et may be made from 254,000 of an inch stock iilrn, the metal foil 41 may be made of aluminum of 1/1000 of an inch thickness, the adhesive nlm 48 may be of the same thickness as nlm at, and the plate 3 of the same thickness as plate il?. Thus, when the pressure-heating step is completed it will leave capillary channels from the central axial hole to the rim of sucient narrowness to 5that it is not intended to conne the invention tothe one form or embodiment herein disclosed, forsit is Vsusceptible of embodiment in various other forms.

. Whatis claimed is:

l. VA printing Wheel device including, in combination, an axle having an axial bore and one or more radial bores connecting the axial bore with the bearing surface of the axle; a type Wheel having in a central bearing portion axle hole and mounted thereby for rotation on the axle with at least one of; the axle radial holes-within the. axle hole. in the wheel,l said wheel having a porous type material rim on the periphery of the central bearing portion and said central bearing, portion having one or more capillary channels extending from the axle hole of the wheel to the porous type material rim; and means including a carbon-graphite to metal rotational slip side seal on each side of said wheel to prevent uid introduced into the axial bore from leaking out between the axle bearing surface and the surface. of the axle hole of the wheel.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the side seals includes a plate oi non-porous. carbon-graphite carried by the wheel and Wheree in it bears against the end surface of a metal collar on the, axle.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the, side seals includes a metal surface on the side of the wheel which bears against the end of a graphite collar secured on the axle.

4. The device of claim 1 in which a seal on one side of the wheel includes a graphite plate, as part of the wheel, which plate sears against the end of a metal secured on the axle, and in which the seal on the other side of the wheel includes a metal plate carried by the wheel, whichv hears against the end of a graphite collar secured on the axle.

5. The device of claim l in which the rotational slip seal includes means for holding the carbon graphite--to-metal surfaces in contact under spring compression.

6. The device of claim l in which the central hearing portion of the wheel includes two side plates of carbon graphite material.

'2. The device of claim 6 in which the graphite plates are of disk shape with parallel plane surfaces.

3. The device of claim 7 in which the graphite disks are mounted together by a separating material formed so as to leave capillary channels extending from the axial hole of said central portion to the periphery thereof.

9. The device of claim l in which the inner surface of one of the disks has formations therein which, when the dislrs are joined together to maire the central portion or the wheel, provide the capillary channels extending from the axial hole of said central portion to the periphery thereof, on which is secured the porous type, material.

1Q. The device of claim l, in which the central portion of the wheel is fabricated of carbon graphite plane parallel dis-lis formed and bonded together so as to leave capillary channels extending from the axial hole to the periphery thereof.

il. The device of claim l in which the rim is of porous resilient rubber-like material bonded to the periphery of said caroon graphite disks.

12. The device of claim l1 in which the rubberlilie material is bonded directly to the Vperiphery of the carbon graphite disks.

i3. The device of claim 1 in which the seal surface of one side of the central portion of the wheel is a carbon graphite surface, and in which the seal surface on the other side of the central portion of the wheel is a metal surface.

14. The device of claim 13, n which the` metal surface is the outside surface of a gear Wheel secured to the central disk portion of theV wheel.

15. A printing wheel device including, in combination, a type Wheel axle having an axial bore and one or more radial bores at each of a plurality of type wheel stations on a central hearing portion, said radial bores connecting the axial bore with the bearing surface of the axle; a plurality of type wheels, on the central bearing portion, each having an axle hole and mounted thereby side by side on the axle each at its associated station for rotation thereon, each wheel being so positioned relative to the station with which it is associated that at least one of the associated radial holes of the axle is within the axle hole in the wheel, each of said wheels having a porous type material rim on a central hearing portion,A said central bearing portion having one or more capillary channels extending from the axle holeof the wheel to the porous type material rirn and including a carbon graphite-tometal rotational slip seal between each two of said wheels.; and a carbon graphite-to-metal seal between the end wheels and formations, carried by the axle, whereby fluid inl: introduced into the axles axial bore is prevented from escaping from the assembly or whe-els and axle except through said capillary channelsin the wheel.

16. The device of claim 15 inY which each printing wheel has one side bearing surface made of carbon graphite and the side hearing surface on the other side of a metal piece.

17. The device of claim 16, in which the metal hearing piece has gear teeth on its periphery, v fherehy the wheel may be driven to a selected rotational position on the axle.

18. The device of claim 15, in which each wheel has on one side a carbon graphite plate and has on the other side a metal gear, the surfaces of the graphite plate and the metal gear which are outermost acting as bearing surfaces for cooperation with adjacent wheels.

19. The device of claim 18 in which the wheels are oriented on the axle in the same sense so that the gear hearing surface on one wheel works against the carbon graphite plate of the next adjacent wheel.

20. The device of claim 19 in which that end wheel of the assembly of wheels on the axle which has its metal gear outermost hears against the end of a graphite collar secured to the axle.

2l. The device of claim 19 in which that end of the assembly which has the carbon graphite bearing surface outermost works against the end of a metal collar on the axle.

22. The device of claim 19, in which the end wheel of the assembly of 1wheels that has the metal gear hearingV surface outermost works against a carbon graphite collar solid on with the axle, and wherein the wheel of the assembly that has the carbon graphite plate bearing surface outermost works against the end of a metal collar, fluid-sealed to the axle except where its bearing surface works against the graphite plate of said endv Wheel.

23. Thev device. ofi claim 15, in which the assembly of wheels is held in. compression. against a formation of the axle and against axial movement thereon, by a slip collar springpresser` against the other end of the assembly.

24. The device of claim 23 in which the collar is' forced against the outer end of the assembly of wheels by a spring.

25. The device of claim 23 in which the end of the collar away from the wheel has a flexible nonporous member coupling it to another member solid with the axle whereby fluid escaping between said collar and said axle is retained in said flexible coupling.

26. The device of claim l5 in which the type Number material is porous resilient rubber-like substance.

27. The device of claim 26, in which the rubberlike material is an oil-resistant copolymer of butadiene and acrylonitrile.

28'. The device of claim 15 in which the axial bore is connected to a fluid storage well.

. 29. The device of claim 28, in which an access port is provided for the Well.

CHARLES G. DUDIS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 351,355 Bigelow Oct. 26, 1886 Number 10 Name Date Lohrey Apr. 30, 1940 Compton Nov. 18, 1941 Mumma June 30, 1942 Choilar (B) May 4, 1943 Chollar Jan. 8, 1946 Frisco et a1 Oct. 14, 1947 Goodwin Dec. 13, 1949 Hall Nov. 21, 1950 Sissler Feo. 13, 1951 Mercier May 13, 1952 

